The pilot of a fighter plane is occupied in performing different tasks simultaneously while engaged in a mission, such as navigating, flying the plane, aiming and shooting targets, and communicating with ground control or with other pilots. Various systems and devices to ease the burden on the pilot while performing these tasks, and to increase the level of performance of the pilot have been disclosed. Such systems are generally incorporated with the helmet of the pilot or located in close vicinity of the pilot.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,384,982 issued to Spitzer and entitled “Compact Image Display System for Eyeglasses or Other Head-Borne Frames” is directed to a device for displaying an image against an ambient imagery. The device includes an image source, a main lens, a first lens, a second lens and an insert. The main lens is the prescriptive lens of a pair of eyeglasses. A first portion of the insert has a first index of refraction and a second portion thereof has a second index of refraction, wherein the first index of refraction is greater than the second index of refraction. The insert is located within the main lens. The index of refraction of the main lens is equal to the first index of refraction. The first lens is located between the image source and the main lens. The first lens and the image source are located on top of the main lens along a first axis. The second lens is located between the insert and the eye of a user, along a second axis perpendicular to the first axis.
A light beam originating from the image source passes through the first lens and the main lens and strikes the first portion. The relative values of the first index of refraction and the second index of refraction, are such that the light beam is totally internally reflected from the insert to the second lens and toward the eye of the user. Another light beam originating from the ambient imagery passes through the insert and the second lens, and reaches the eye of the user. The device can further include a head band, transducers mounted in one or two ear cups and a microphone. The microphone includes a differential noise canceling arrangement.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,861,994 issued to Kelly and entitled “Modular Binocular Electronic Imaging System”, is directed to a portable binocular electronic imaging system which superimposes an image on a viewed scene, provides stereo sound to the user and allows video recording and input and output to electronic devices. The portable binocular electronic imaging system includes a core system housing, a display module, an electronic camera module and a battery and video cassette recorder module. The core system includes a binocular viewing subsystem, stereo speakers, an electronic system control subsystem, an input/output interface, three module ports and an input keypad.
The display module includes a display subsystem. The battery and video cassette recorder module includes a recorder and player and a battery. The binocular viewing subsystem includes a projection lens, a folding mirror, a combination positive Fresnel lens, a reflective striped prism beam splitting surface, and an eye lens.
The electronic system control subsystem is connected to the stereo speakers, the input/output interface, the input keypad, and to the three module ports. Each of the display module, electronic camera module and the battery and video cassette recorder module can be coupled with the portable binocular electronic imaging system. The folding mirror is located at a side of the eye lens. The reflective striped prism beam splitting surface is located in front of the folding mirror and the eye lens. The combination positive Fresnel lens is located between the reflective striped prism beam splitting surface on one side, and the folding mirror and the eye lens on the other. The projection lens is located between the folding mirror and the display subsystem.
The display subsystem projects an image toward the folding mirror through the projection lens, and the folding mirror reflects the image toward the combination positive Fresnel lens and the reflective striped prism beam splitting surface. The reflective striped prism beam splitting surface reflects the image, and the combination positive Fresnel lens converges the image to the eye lens. An image of the scene also passes through the reflective striped prism beam splitting surface and reaches the eye lens through the combination positive Fresnel lens.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,349,001 issued to Spitzer and entitled “Eyeglass Interface System”, is directed to an eyeglass which captures a scene image viewed by a user and provides audio communication for the user. The eyeglass includes a first temple, a second temple, a first lens, a second lens, a camera assembly, a beam splitter coating, a mirror coating, a third lens, an audio input subsystem, an audio output subsystem, an interconnection subsystem and a power subsystem.
The first temple and the second temple are connected to the first lens and to the second lens, respectively. The first lens and the second lens are located in front of the eyes of the user. The camera assembly is connected to the first temple. The camera assembly is aligned with the direction of gaze of the user. The beam splitter coating and the mirror coating are embedded within the first lens. The third lens is located between the camera assembly and the mirror coating.
The beam splitter coating reflects part to the light beams respective of the scene image, to the mirror coating and another part thereof to the eye of the user. The mirror coating reflects the light beams respective of the scene image to the camera assembly.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,456,438 issued to Lee et al., and entitled “Variable Immersion Vignetting Display”, is directed to a head mounted display (HMD) which displays a generated image for a user, against the real world imagery, in a selected manner. The HMD includes a combiner, a variably transmissive element, a display optical system and a control module. The combiner is located between the eyes of the user and the variably transmissive element. The control module is connected to the variably transmissive element. The combiner focuses optical data generated by the display optical system, toward the eye of the user. The real world imagery passes through the variably transmissive element and combiner, and reaches the eye of the user. The HMD can also include an eye tracking device to register the real world imagery with the generated image, to be coincident with the eye gaze direction of the user.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,160,666 issued to Rallison et al., and entitled “Personal Visual Display System”, is directed to an HMD for displaying video images for a user, against the environmental light and producing sound for the user. The HMD includes a right loudspeaker, a left loudspeaker, a right temple piece, a left temple piece, a strap, a forehead brace, an optical device and a tracking device. The optical device includes an image generator, a field correction device, a fold mirror and a combiner.
The right loudspeaker and the left loudspeaker are attached to the right temple piece and the left temple piece, respectively. The right temple piece, the left temple piece, the strap and the forehead brace are attached together. The optical device is attached to the forehead brace. The tracking device is attached either to the right temple piece or the left temple piece.
The fold mirror reflects at least a portion of the image received from the image generator toward the combiner. The combiner reflects at least a portion of the image received from the fold mirror, toward the eye of the user. If the combiner is at least partially transparent, it combines the image with light from the environment, to provide the user with a simultaneous view of the environment and of the generated image. The tracking device collects information respective of the position, posture, location and movement of the head of the user. This information is used to control the generated image to the eyes of the user.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,422,653 issued to Maguire, Jr. and entitled “Passive Virtual Reality”, is directed to a system for controlling the portion of an object space which is to be imaged, according to the position of the eye of a cameraman. In this patent, the words “passive viewer” means one whose body, head or visual axis may analogously follow the body, head or visual axis of an observer by following simulated active percepts. The words “active viewer” are meant to describe one whose activity or the effects thereof are monitored to provide a control signal which affects the information content of an image presented thereto.
The system includes a light source, a video camera, an eye position monitor, a first control and a transmitter. A passive viewer helmet includes a receiver, a second control, an image source, a light transmissive liquid crystal display, a prism, a first reflective mirror, a second reflective mirror, a three layer “sandwich” and a plurality of audio sources. The three layer “sandwich” includes a light valve, a variable magnification lens and a Risley prism. The eye position monitor is an oculometer which directs an invisible beam of infrared radiation onto the eye of the cameraman, where it is reflected back for detection. The first reflective mirror and the second reflective mirror are located in front of the right eye and the left eye of the passive viewer, respectively.
The eye position monitor monitors the position of the eyes of the cameraman (i.e., the active viewer) and provides a signal to the first control. The first control controls the portion of the object space which is imaged in a highly detailed manner in the video camera. The video camera provides image information to the first control and the first control transmits the image information to the second control via the transmitter and the receiver. The second control controls the image source to change the position of the highly detailed component of the object space with respect to the lesser detailed component, according to the visual axis of the eyes of the active viewer.
The eyes of the passive viewer observe the image produced by the image source. In this manner, the system induces the passive viewer to shift his gaze according to the changes in the position of the highly detailed component with respect to the imaged object space. The light transmissive liquid crystal display provides images to the prism, and the prism transmits a 50% reduced intensity image to the first reflective mirror and the second reflective mirror, through the three layer “sandwich”. The first reflective mirror and the second reflective mirror reflect the reduced intensity image to the right eye and the left eye, respectively, of the passive viewer. The audio source provides an all-around audio effect for the passive viewer.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,421,031 issued to Ronzani et al., and entitled “Camera Display System”, is directed to a head mounted display system which provides audiovisual communication for a user. The system includes a head mounted display, a collapsible keyboard, a head mounted computer, an input device and a communication module. The head mounted display includes an optical assembly, a connector and a speaker assembly. The head mounted display connects to a remote video source and to a power supply, via the connector.
The input device is an eye tracker. The communication module includes a global positioning system (GPS) and a wireless transducer. The head mounted computer includes a central processing unit (CPU), a video board module, a disk drive module, at least one expansion module and a battery module. The head mounted computer communicates with a central operations computer via the communication module and a distributed data network. The wireless transducer transmits and receives audio, video and data signals. The optical assembly provides a video image to the eyes of the user.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,682,172 issued to Travers et al., and entitled “Headset for Presenting Video and Audio Signals to a Wearer”, is directed to a headset for providing audiovisual information to a user. The headset includes a rigid shell, a visor, speakers, a compensator, selectively inflatable bladders and a nape strap. The rigid shell includes a support beam and a pair of rigid arms. The visor includes a visual display to present an image to the eyes of the user. The compensator includes an open cell foam base. The rigid arms house the speakers. The speakers cooperate with the compensator. The pair of rigid arms extend from the support beam and the visor is pivotally attached to the support beam. The nape strap extends between the rigid arms. The selectively inflatable bladders are located inside the rigid shell.